Easy Energy Tips for Apartments

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Of America’s 35 million apartment residents, a significant portion of them are renters. One of the best parts of renting as opposed to buying is not having to worry too much about the status of your dwelling. Big picture headaches like costly repairs and home values are not your concern—and if the place isn’t to your liking, you’re more mobile than if you’re tied to a mortgage.

That doesn’t mean there are no concerns for apartment dwellers. For one, many who live in apartments do own them. But more importantly, one of the most expensive aspects of apartment upkeep for any inhabitant is energy. Ever gone to stay with a starving actor friend in New York in the summer? There’s a reason he doesn’t have air conditioning.

Here are three easy energy tips that let you save energy and cut down on your apartment’s energy costs.

1. Wash your clothes with cold water. Air dry them.

Wash-your-clothes-with-cold-water.-Air-dry-themThe biggest energy expenditure in any apartment is temperature control. Air conditioning is, of course, going to be one of the biggest monthly energy expenditures you have—more on that in a second—but there are also other, less heralded climate controlling mechanisms in your home.

If you wash your clothes with hot water, you are spending a tremendous amount of unnecessary energy. According to Energystar.gov, 90 percent of the energy that goes into washing a hot load of clothes is the energy that heats the water. Wash your clothes with cold water.

And don’t use a dryer either, for that matter.

2. Make sure your apartment is energy sealed.

Make-sure-your-apartment-is-energy-sealed.Often, annoying energy-wasting expenditures come at the margins of your life. Mashable has a great list of things you can do that will shore up your energy-saving operation, saving you money and stress in the process. Seal your windows so the carefully cultivated climate you’ve got in your apartment stays in your apartment. Pack your freezer so as many cold items are in there as possible. Even something as small as covering cooking pots or pans can save you some valuable energy—and scratch in the process.

3. Don’t lose track of your apartment’s climate.

Don’t-lose-track-of-your-apartment’s-climateIt can be easy to forget how hot or cold you’ve set the thermostat. But if you want to save energy, it’s so important that you know exactly how hot or cold you’re keeping your home. Buy a programmable thermostat that knows when you’re in or out of the house and you can turn your apartment into an optimized energy paradise.

   

Best New Energy Saving Appliances

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Finding modern appliances with energy-saving technology can be a bear. Lucky for us, Energy Star, a company that puts its name on the most energy-efficient technology, has released a 2016 list of the best energy-efficient appliances on the market! Take a look at some of these appliances and learn how modern technology can not only save energy, but also save you money.

The Efficient Washer

The efficient washer in text imagesThis LG appliance cuts wash time in half with its TurboWash® Technology. This uses a lot less water, and less electricity, making washing clothes the cheapest it has ever been. It also has the LG Steam feature, which gently cleans and disinfects clothing by using less water than a normal load of laundry requires.

The Efficient Dryer

The efficient dryer In-Text ImagesAny dryer with a sensor rather than a timer is more energy-efficient. The large capacity of this dryer allows for more clothes to be dried at a time, decreasing the amount of loads to be done. A dryer can eat up a large portion of your electricity bill, so the less you need to turn it on, the better!

The Efficient Refrigerator

The efficient refrigerator In-Text ImagesThis sleek refrigerator does just as much for the design of your kitchen as it does for your home’s energy savings. The LED lighting in the appliance shines bright and is very efficient. The electronic temperature controls give precise temperature reads so that you can be sure your refrigerator is working at the degree of your choice – and not overworking!

The Efficient Dishwasher

The efficient dishwasher In-Text ImagesAt an operating cost of only $26 per year, this dishwasher is definitely a winner when it comes to your monthly electric bill. It only uses about 220 kWh per year in comparison to the U.S. federal standard of 307 kWh per year. It also only uses about three gallons of water per wash, which is two gallons less than the average.